Liverpool supporters have changed their mind on Ibrahima Konate staying at the club after an excellent run of recent form.
The French defender has been one of the players most guilty of allowing standards to drop this season, but has seen a big uptick of late.
Konate has reminded everyone just what a good defender he is as he enters the final few months of his Liverpool contract.
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Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates in front of the Kop after scoring in Liverpool's FA Cup fourth round match against Brighton at Anfield (Credit: Getty Images/Charlotte Wilson/Offside).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Charlotte Wilson/Offside
For a while it has felt as though the 26-year-old’s exit is inevitable, with fans believing that his poor run of form had just about extinguished any hope Konate might stay.
But, out of nowhere, there appears to be some positivity that the end is not nigh for the centre-back at Anfield. And according to journalist David Lynch, he is now more ‘encouraged’ than ever that Konate may actually sign a contract extension.
Ibrahima Konate still keen on Liverpool stay
Despite their signing of Jeremy Jacquet, Liverpool could still really do with one more centre-back for 2026/27. If that can be Konate it would be the best possible outcome.
And according to Lynch, that is still very much on the cards. Speaking to Anfield Index, the reporter said he’d been told something recently which he believes could point towards a new deal for the Frenchman.
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“I had a conversation last week that encouraged me,” Lynch said. “From the player’s side of things they’re still kind of having discussions and that was in the last couple of weeks, so it’s not completely dead. That’s not to say it’s going to be a positive outcome but I really don’t get the impression from the player’s side that he’s got in his head somewhere he wants to go and he’s got no interest in signing for Liverpool. They’re definitely listening and talking and that is ongoing. Nobody seems resigned to anything, so I think there’s a chance.
“I’ve been hugely discouraged until I had this conversation this week,” adds the journalist. “So, I’ve gone from thinking there’s no chance because we’re not really hearing much to I’ve heard something that makes me think there is a chance, there’s a possibility that Liverpool will get this done and the player wants it to happen.
“The fact that discussions haven’t been halted yet – or certainly hadn’t in the last couple of weeks – to me suggests there’s a possibility there. Whether it’ll happen or not is kind of in the lap of the Gods now, but I’m more encouraged than I was a couple of weeks ago, that’s for sure.”
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Virgil van Dijk celebrates Alexis Mac Allister scoring for Liverpool against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League at Anfield (Credit: Getty Images/Chris Brunskill/Fantasista).
Photo credit: Getty Images/Chris Brunskill/Fantasista
Momentum shifting in Konate contract saga
For a long while this has felt like a slow march towards Konate leaving Liverpool as a free agent.
As Lynch is at pains to point out, that could still happen, of course, but it does feel as though the momentum has begun to shift here.
It now feels much more positive that Liverpool can come to an agreement with Konate which will see him agree fresh terms and stay at the club.
Something needs to happen soon for that feeling to be reinforced. If there is no movement for a further six weeks or so, for example, it will become clear that a breakthrough is not going to happen.
For the time being, however, it’s feeling like Liverpool might be able to count on Konate for next season after all.
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